During the night of 5/6 March 1943 the Thomas Hooker (Master Louis S. Hathaway) in convoy ON-168 began developing structural damages in nearly hurricane winds. A crack became visible across the main deck forward of the #3 hatch and down the side and from the same hatch to the storeroom deck. The ship actually did not break in two but the crack was opening and closing about 2 feet, causing a flooding that forced the 45 crew members and 17 armed guards to abandon ship in the two port lifeboats at daylight. They were picked up by HMS Pimpernel (K 71) and landed at St. Johns on 9 March.

On 12 March, the drifting wreck of the Thomas Hooker was located by U-653 which hit her with two coups de grâce at 02.09 hours and 04.33 hours. The ship sank by the stern two minutes after the second torpedo hit.